T hornas Slm IV Kansas State Board of Agriculture, Topeka

Wllllam O. Wlllls Kansas State University, Manhattan

Merle G. Eversmeyer USDA-ARS, Kansas State University, Man hattan

Kansas Plant Disease Survey Kansas has a long tradition of plant

disease surveys dating back to 1912. As participants in the original Plant Disease Survey Program begun in 1917 by the United States Department of Agricultw's B w a u of Plant Industry, Kansas plant pathologists made many contributions to the fledgling Plant Diswse Reporter (1). Observations made during those surveys were recorded on 3 X 5 in. index cards, which remain on file. The USDA survey was discontinued about 1945, and some attempts were made to continue the use of the index cards in Kansas for stveral years, but their use was discontinued in the early 1950s. Important Kansas phnt disease information was publishad in the Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science during the 1950s and 19Mls (2,3). The Kansas State University (KSU) Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (now located in Throckmorton Hall) was formally established in 1962, and records from I962 ta the present are maintained in a logbook within the Department of Plant Pathology.

A formal plant disease survey was initiated by the Kansas State Board of

Coopersli~in~gligatiomolthc Kam Agricultural Exptrimtnt Station; Kansas State Board o t Agriculture: U.S. Departmen1 of A~riculture. ~ m l t u r a l R m r c h Setvie: and Depanmcnt ol Plant Pathalogy, Kensas State University. Contribution 8&362-5 lrom the Kansas Agrioultural Experiment Station. Kansaa State University. Manhattan.

Thia urtlcle i8 in the public domain and not copy- rightable. It may be freely reprinted with cup tornary crediting d the source. The Arnerian Phytopathologieal S~lety. I=.

Agriculture (KSBA) i n 1975 as an adiunct to an existi- insect survev I

USDA-APHIS-PPQ from 1954 6 1979, at which time the funding was dis- continued. The Kansas plant disease I

survey program has been state-supparted '

since its inception. Because of the large acreage of crops

mown in Kansas (over 20 millio~cres}. ihe size oft he state (82,2M square milmj, FI~. I. r om Slm um~ng r p a r t a h computer and resource limitatiom. cooperative to record fleld s u m dab. relationships with several institutions and organizations in Kansas were established at the outset of the current program. The closest relationship in t h ~ - ~ h i t dismse survey program exists betwacn KSBA and KSU. The decision was made early in the program to h o w the survey plant pathologist in the KSU Department of Plant Pathology. This has proved beneficial to both institutions,

The current plant diseuse survey program bas two major goals 1) to facilitate the movement of Kansas commodities in interstate and fareign trade and 2) to monitor development of endemic or established dipeases so that Kansas producers can make management decisions to reduce disease losses. Major emphasis is on the state's major crops of wheat, sorghum, corn, alfalfa, and soybeans. Minor crops such as barley, oats, sunflowers, dry beans, red clover. and horticultural crops. including nursery stock, turf, fruits, and vegetables. are surveyed as conditions warrant or as required by statute. Detectionsurveys for new or cxotic diseases arc included in all survey activities.

Plant disease survey information is utilized by many clients, including state

and federal regulatory agencies, state and federal extension services, agribusiness interests such as private crop consultants, chemical companies, seed companies. local grower cooperatives, and public and private research interests.

Stafllng The Plant Protection Section of the

KSBA Plant Health Division employs six area staff members who are rcsponsibk for all plant regulatory functions as assigned by statute, including export certification, interstate commodity certification, nursery inspection, and piam disease and insect surveys. A survey plant pathologist, survey entomologist, and state apiarist have statewide responsibility for assigned programs. Two clerical positions and one adminis- trator provide administrative support in Topeka. The survey plant pathologist and survey enromologht have offices in their respective departments at KSU in Manhattan and are afforded adjunct faculty appointments.

832 Plant DlseaseNol. 72 No. 10